The entire cabin was lit up by candles, each one placed freely around the room, their flames dancing softly.
The woman picked up a dagger and sliced her palm open, bringing a chalice to bleed into it. Securing enough blood, she placed the cup aside carefully.
As if she hadn't bled enough, she pricked her finger with a pin, using the bleeding finger to draw a sigil within the circle.
Pleased by her work, she giggled like a child before reaching for a bag to retrieve a live cat from it, immediately slitting the cat's neck. She began to chant as she bathed in the blood of the dead animal, drenching her hair and face completely.
Soon the candles around began to flicker, the air turning cold as if an invisible breeze was blowing inside the cabin itself. A shadow appeared on the wall, moving around until it entered the woman's own shadow on the ground.
The woman gasped, dropping the dead animal as if something had taken over her body. One of her eyes turned black as she spread her arms out wide.
"Speak," the woman said, her voice deep and distorted.
"The first stage has been completed," she said again, this time her voice sounding normal. "She has been fed, just as you wanted."
"Are you certain?" she said, her voice coming out distorted again.
"Yes," she spoke again, tilting her head slightly as she listened in silence.
She had performed a summoning ritual, giving her body as a conduit.
"Shall we move on to the next stage?" she inquired from what or whoever she was speaking to.
"No."
She frowned deeply.
"Why not? But everything is going exactly as planned, why are we pausing—"
The woman suddenly choked, her nose leaking with blood as her body shaking.
"Who asked for your input?" the thing inside her asked, even as she dropped to her knees, gushing blood from her mouth.
"A pawn is what you are. Do not forget your place," the voice warned, before freeing her at last.
Finally able to breathe freely, the woman gasped for air, clutching her chest.
"Forgive me for my idiocy," she apologized weakly.
The air shifted again as thick black fog seeped out from the floor around the woman, covering her entirely. When it cleared up, she looked younger, like a teenager once more.
Her face was young, smooth, and innocent.
"Your reward," the voice spoke through her one last time.
Slowly, the shadow slipped away from hers, vanishing completely.
The woman, now a young girl, stood up wiping her bloody nose, smiling ear to ear.
Greta and the other maid returned that morning accompanied by two new maids. With the new maids' presence, Camelia was sure they would no longer require her help around the house any longer.
And just like she thought, Lucas called her that afternoon to tell her that there would be no need at all for her to continue working there after that day. He even compensated her far more than any maid would receive as a salary for two months.
She was more than grateful for the ridiculously huge pay, but also sad at the same time. She knew she would no longer have the opportunity to see Ian again.
As she continued with her work that day, she kept looking toward the corridor to his room, hoping to catch a glimpse of him, but she never saw him until evening came and it was time for her to close.
Before she left, she decided to go to his room herself. She knocked on the door and waited patiently, before trying the knob, but the door was locked, most likely from the inside.
Meaning that Ian was inside.
She knocked a second time, tapping her shoes on the carpet floor as she waited.
She frowned when she sensed no movement at all of him coming to open the door. She raised her hand to knock again when a voice startled her.
"I think he's asleep," Ayria said.
Camelia did not even sense her as she approached, almost like her footsteps were silent.
She stood a few steps away from Camelia, her keen eyes trained on her, though not with hostility but curiosity instead.
"Oh…" Camelia said, retracting her hand back to her side. "I wanted to speak to him before I left since I won't be working here anymore."
"Well, I have an idea," Ayria said with a thoughtful look. "You can stop by tomorrow to see him."
"Really, I can?" Camelia asked, making sure she had heard the Vampiress well.
Ayria nodded with a small smile.
"Sure. My brother-in-law seems to be fond of you, so I don't see why not," she said, taking a few steps closer.
"Just try not to incite him to attack Thomas again," she added.
Regardless of the smile on her face, Camelia could sense that was some sort of warning.
"Um, okay. I better head home before it gets dark," she said nervously, bowing her head slightly before leaving in a hurry.
Ayria watched her as she scurried away, the smile disappearing from her face slowly.
"So you're awake," she said, glancing at the closed door.
She could sense Ian standing there behind the door all this time.
"Why didn't you answer her?" she asked, though she wasn't expecting him to respond.
"Dinner will be ready in five minutes. You should try to eat some food, since you've refused to feed," she said before leaving the hallway.
Inside the room, Ian had his back pressed to the door, staring out blankly into nothing.
He couldn't let her anywhere near him, not while he was like this.
How many days had it been since he last fed? He didn't bother counting, but it had been since that night he saw her. He had completely lost his appetite for blood, but that wasn't stopping his body from growing weaker.
His body had used whatever reserved fuel it had to heal up his injury.
Deep down he knew he didn't lose his appetite, he just had a new appetite for something else… for his mate.
Instead of taking the usual path home, Camelia decided on taking a shortcut through the woods.
The sun had completely set, night slowly taking over the sky. Small twigs snapped and broke as she picked up her pace.
She spotted someone, a young girl bent down some distance away from her.
Surprised at seeing someone in that part of the woods, she slowed her steps when she reached her. The girl looked around twelve, her black hair pouring freely down her back and shoulders.
The girl was busy picking up flowers, oblivious to Camelia's presence.
"Hello," Camelia said, finally drawing the girl's attention. "Isn't it a little late to be out here on your own? Are your parents nearby?" she asked, looking around for anyone else.
The girl shook her head, holding on to her freshly plucked flowers close to her chest.
"Where do you live?" Camelia asked, thinking of taking her back.
The girl pointed forward, toward the same direction Camelia was heading.
"I'm also heading that way. We can walk together," she said, stretching out her hand for the girl to take as she flashed a friendly smile to ease the child.
Hesitantly, the girl stared at her hand for a moment before finally taking it.
After walking for a bit, Camelia could already sight her own house in the distance. She glanced at the child.
"Can you head home from here?" she asked, concerned.
She would have brought her home herself, but she didn't want to face any insults from some ungrateful mother.
The girl nodded.
"Yes… thank you, kind lady," she smiled, finally speaking.
"You're welcome," Camelia said softly.
But the girl didn't let go of her hand immediately. She dipped her hand into the front pocket of her bright blue dress and retrieved a bracelet, placing it in Camelia's palm.
"For you," she said before scurrying away, not even giving Camelia the chance to thank her.
Camelia didn't pay much thought to the girl's strange behavior. When she arrived home, she opened her palm to check the bracelet the girl had given her.
But her brows instantly furrowed when she saw what the bracelet was made of.